October 29, 2018

Queen's University Assessing Its Ombuds Office

An external reviewer will conduct a thorough review of the Office of the University Ombudsman at the public research university in Kingston, Ontario. Stephen Strople, retired secretary general of McGill University and higher education expert, will look at the Ombuds' effectiveness, profile among the campus community, the communication of services, and future direction. All campus stakeholders will be queried. The review will be comprehensive and reflect all aspects of a robust Ombuds program.

Without limiting the general nature of the above, the review will examine the following:

The adequacy of the Terms of Reference and Procedural Guidelines established for the Office

The appropriateness of reporting and governance structures with respect to the Office, including the role and composition of the Ombudsman Advisory Committee and the reporting relationship to the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board of Trustee and the concomitant requirement to attend all meetings thereof, including recommendations on alternate structures with reference to practices elsewhere

The compatibility and suitability of the range and placement of responsibilities within the Office of the Ombudsman, including, in particular, the provision of secretarial support to the University Student Appeal Board, determination of the composition of USAB hearing panels and serving as the Safe Disclosure Officer for the University

The relationship of the Office of the Rector to the mandate of the Ombudsman with a view to ensuring that the appropriate lines of communication, protocols and other tools are in place to optimize the effectiveness of both Offices, working together, in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities

The sufficiency of budgetary resources, personnel and space assigned to the Office. In particular, a review of the adequacy of the physical location of the Office should be considered.

Review of the structure and composition of the Ombudsman Advisory Committee

An assessment of the effectiveness of the Office as demonstrated by stakeholder perception and established metrics and reporting

An assessment of the effectiveness of current quarterly reporting to the Committee and annual reporting to the community by the Office including:

Sufficiency of measures used to gauge awareness and effectiveness

Comparison to reporting by other Universities

Scan of reporting in the broader public sector and in the private sector

An assessment informed by stakeholder feedback regarding the attributes desired in and mandate for the next Ombudsman. Recommendations should address, at a minimum the following:

Ought the role be continuing or time-limited in nature?

Is a legal background necessary, or merely desirable?

Would an academic background be desirable?

Are there additional skills, qualifications or experiences that may be necessary or desirable in an Ombudsman?

Is the title “University Ombudsman” appropriate and, if not, what alternate title should be considered?

An assessment informed by a comparative review of the structure and functions of Ombuds offices at U15 universities of best practices that might be appropriate for adoption by Queen’s

No comments:

Post a Comment

Featured Post

Wake Technical Community College's Ombuds, Jerry Nuesell , is heading up a new group for colleagues at other community colleges. Whil...

Translate

Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

About Me

I am a University Ombudsperson, Mediator, and Attorney. The material in this blog does not reflect on any matters I have handled or am currently handling. This information should not be construed as legal, medical or psychological advice; readers should consult their own professionals for advice.
(I can be contacted at Tom [dot] Kosakowski [at_sign] gmail [dot] com.)